The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss: A Review

Most of you know by now that I am an avid reader. I devour books like they are going out of style (and sadly, in today’s world, they are going out of style).

In the past 10 years, I would estimate that I have read 600-700 books, maybe more. I am not saying that to brag, but I just want you to know that I am well versed on business books.

I have read good business books, terrible business books and game-changing business books. The book I am talking about in today’s post is a game-changer.

I have learned something from every book I have read, even if it’s what not to do.

For me, The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss has been the most life-changing book I have ever read.

I was browsing a Borders Book Store in Frederick, Maryland when I stumbled upon this book. This was back in 2010 when I was first making my entry into the “make money online” journey.

I was scanning the business book section and the title of the book immediately “captivated” my attention. After all, who wouldn’t want to work only four hours in a week?

It sounded like a great idea, so I had to see if it was possible.

Needless to say, I bought the book and started reading it in the bookstore. I couldn’t put it down.

I was one of those people…

You know, like the people who text and drive: distracted. My wife drove while I read the book all the way home.

Not a word was said between us.

I finished it within 48 hours. Then I immediately re-read it. My life has not been the same since.

Best Tim Ferriss Quotes from The Four Hour Work Week

While there are a ton of quotes within Tim’s book that resonated with me, I have picked out my favorite 100 quotes.

Most of these quotes are from Tim, but there are a few in which Tim quoted another well-known personality.

I will share the quote and give my 2 cents about it. Each quote is in bold and italics. Enjoy.

# 100 – Remove the human element.

The more that we can automate our business, the easier it becomes. We remove the possibility of human errors.

# 99 – Process-driven instead of founder-driven.

If we allow our system to be founder-driven, emotions can get in the way. Using a process-driven system lets everything stay consistent.

# 98 – Biggest time saver of all – Customer filtering.

Some customers just are not worth the headaches they cause. In some circumstances, the $10 of profit we made is wasted in the issues and time they take. There are times when it is best to not take a customer.

# 97 – Those who spend the least and ask for the most before ordering will do the same after the sale.

This goes right along with number 98. You will be able to judge a customer immediately by their actions.

# 96 – By working faithfully eight hours a day, you may eventually get to be a boss and work twelve hours a day. ~ Robert Frost

Tim shared this quote by Robert Frost that makes me shutter. But, it is true.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. There is no guarantee of success in anything you do. Sure, there is the chance of failure, but there is also a chance of success. But there is neither if we don’t try.

# 94 – More value means more leverage for negotiations.

This is really quite clear. The more value we have, the more we are needed and we have much more negotiation room.

#93 – Being able to quit things that don’t work is integral to being a winner.

There are times that we need to walk away from certain things. While some would say that quitters are losers, I would have to disagree. There are times when quitting is wise.

#92 – There are principals that keep people on sinking ships. They include:

Quitting is permanent

I won’t be able to pay the bills

There are always options. It may be emotionally difficult, but you won’t starve. Don’t let your comfort zone keep you from the living the life that you could have.

#91 – Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. Thomas Watson – Founder of IBM

It is true… A series of failures lead to success. So, more failures mean more successes. You can’t succeed your way to success… you must fail your way to success.

#90 – There are two types of mistakes: mistakes of ambition and mistakes of sloth.

Like I’ve said before, we will all make mistakes. But it is the mistakes of ambition that helps us grow. Mistakes of sloth do nothing for us.

#89 – The person who has more options, has more power. Don’t wait until you need options to search for them.

Having options is a good thing. Create a Plan B before you need one. It’s easier to get a loan from a bank when you have the money and don’t need it, than when you are desperate for the money.

#88 – The Mexican looked up and smiled, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Julia, and stroll into the village each evening, where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, Senor.”

Having more “things” is overrated. What you should really strive to achieve is more time: time to spend with people you love and time to do what you want to do when you want to do it.

#87 – Learn to go slow.

The world moves much too fast. One of the main reasons I moved to Florida was to escape the busyness of where I previously lived. It’s great to be busy and productive, but don’t forget to stop and smell the roses from time to time.

#86 – Four days in a decent hotel or a week or two at a nice hostel costs the same as a month in a nice posh apartment.

Why just travel to a lovely place and stay a few days or a week? Rent an apartment and stay for awhile. Think outside the box and stretch your dollars as much as you can.

#85 – Most excuses not to travel are exactly that – Excuses.

Traveling can be educational, and can set your path on the journey to success. Take the time to travel. When you travel you build memories that you will cherish for the rest of your life.

#84 – Don’t assume that places abroad are more dangerous than your hometown. Most aren’t.

This is so true. Just because a murder happened in Paris doesn’t mean one won’t happen in Hemphill, Wisconsin. (I made the town name up; I have no idea if there is such a town.) Don’t use that excuse.

#83 – Learning deserves special mention. It is, bar none, the best thing you can do to hone clear thinking.

If we do not learn something new each day, it was a wasted day.

#82 – Separate your environments – designate a single space for work and solely work – or you will never be able to escape it.

This is especially true for home-based workers. By having a separate work zone, we can escape to sanctuary from time to time.

#81 – If you cannot find meaning in your life, it is your responsibility as a human being to create it, whether it is fulfilling dreams or finding work that gives you purpose and self-worth – ideally a combination of both.

Nobody else can give us “meaning.” It is something we have to discover ourselves. We must create our meaning in everything from work to play. Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life.

#80 – Life is neither a problem to be solved nor a game to be won.

Problems will come and go. Games are just competitive activities. Life is so much more than all of that. We must always realize that and take advantage of the opportunities in front of us.

#79 – I believe that life exists to be enjoyed and that the most important thing is to feel good about yourself.

We can go all through life with stress and anxiety, but is it worth it? We must do everything we can to enjoy our time of existence.

#78 – Traveling around the world and having the time of your life can save you serious money.

For some people, this quote may seem like an oxymoron. Living anywhere in the United States is more expensive that most other countries in the world. Even if you make a small income, you can substantially improve your standard of living by moving to another country.

#77 – Getting fired…..is often a godsend.

Normally, people get fired for one of two reasons. They aren’t a good fit for the company or they aren’t a good fit for the job. In either case, getting fired is normally a blessing in disguise because you can now look for a new source of income that provides you fulfillment (and often more money).

#76 – Offer one or two purchase options and no more.

When we give potential customers too many decisions to choose from, they will often not make any decision at all.

#75 – Information products are low cost, fast to manufacture, and time-consuming for competitors to duplicate.

Information products are a wise sales product to add to your portfolio. Timothy explains the reasons why quite clearly here. I’ve created more than 30 of my own information products and they are very profitable.

#74 – Higher pricing creates higher profits.

We must not get trapped with thinking our products need to be low priced so people can afford them. Many people are actually frightened away if products are too low in price because they think they are cheaply made. I suggest starting out with a high price and adjust accordingly. The more I raise my own prices the more sales I get and more money I make.

#73 – Higher pricing attracts lower-maintenance customers.

When a customer is willing to pay a high price for an item, that means they have a good idea what they are receiving and will not cause you grief.

#72 – What would you do if you didn’t have to think about money?

Get your finances under control. Get out of debt. Spend less than you make. Come up with a financial plan so you can enjoy life, rather than spending all your time worrying about money.

#71 – It is absolutely necessary that you realize you can always do something more cheaply yourself. This doesn’t mean you want to spend your time doing it. If you spend your time, worth $20-25 per hour, doing something that someone else will do for $10 per hour, it’s simply a poor use of resources.

Don’t spend your $100 per hour time on $10 per hour tasks. Focus a majority of your time on money producing activities and outsource everything else.

#70 – It’s amazing how someone’s IQ seems to double as soon as you give them responsibility and indicate that you trust them.

People will rise to the level of expectation you place on them. I learned that in the Army.

#69 – If you absolutely cannot stop a meeting or call from happening, define the end time.

Meetings can often be a huge waste of time, so we need to keep them to a minimum. Never have a meeting just to have a meeting. Always identify a clear purpose for each meeting. Be sure to start and end on time.

#68 – Limit email consumption and production. This is the greatest single interruption in the modern world.

Check email no more than once or twice a day and have a set time for doing it.

#67 – Don’t ever arrive at the office or in front of your computer without a clear list of priorities.

As is often said, failing to plan is planning to fail. It is wise to set your priorities for the following day the night before.

#66 – There is no incentive to use time well unless you are paid on commission.

People take as much time as is given to them to complete a task. For example, many high school students wait until the night before a project is due to start. If everyone was put on some type of commission based pay structure, most people would be fired.

… or they would learn how to manage their time wisely.

#65 – Which 20% of sources are causing 80% of my problems and unhappiness?

We talk of the 20/80 rule quite often. Timothy hits on it in this quote telling us to look at the sources that are causing most of the problems. We need to either erase those sources or fix them.

#64 – You shouldn’t be trying to do more in each day.

Your goal should be to keep the main thing the main thing, eliminate clutter, and outsource everything else for someone else to do.

#63 – I’m not a big believer in long-term planning and far-off goals. In fact, I generally set 3-month and 6-month dreamlines.

Personally, I’ve always focused on monthly, yearly and five year goals. But, I do like the idea of setting 3 month and 6 month goals. A lot can happen in 3 to 6 months.

#62 – Living like a millionaire requires doing interesting things and not just owning enviable things.

Life is meant to be fun. Focus on creating memories, doing fun things and spending time with people you love. Focus less on acquiring material possessions and more on building memories and you will live like a millionaire.

#61 – Excitement is the more practical synonym for happiness, and it is precisely what you should strive to chase. It is the cure-all.

This is true, but we must remember that excitement comes in various forms for different people. One person’s excitement could involve skydiving while another person’s excitement could be a game of Bridge. Just do things that excite YOU!

#60 – It’s lonely at the top. Ninety-nine percent of people in the world are convinced they are incapable of achieving great things, so they aim for the mediocre.

It saddens me when people say, “Oh, I couldn’t do that or achieve that.” But they have never tried. Even though we could fail, we won’t know unless we try. Stop selling yourself short. You are capable of great things.

#59 – I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened. ∼ Mark Twain

Timothy used this great quote by the author of Tom Sawyer. We do often make problems up in our own heads, but they never materialize. I’d bet 90% of the things we worry about never come true.

#58 – Don’t save it all for the end. There is every reason not to.

Live life every day to its fullest and don’t wait until you are old and retired to do the things you want to do.

#57 – Are you better off than you were one year ago, one month ago, or one week ago? If not, then things will not improve by themselves.

We are the masters of our own destinies. We can sit and hope something magic will fall from the sky (which it probably won’t), or we can reach out and grab what we desire. We do so by learning something new each day. Also, if what you are doing right now isn’t working, CHANGE.

#56 – Pure hell forces action, but anything less can be endured with enough clever rationalization.

It amazes me that it takes something tragic to get a person to change their ways, but a large percentage of humans are like that. I vow not to rationalize away bad actions and make changes to better myself and my business.

#55 – Most people will choose unhappiness over uncertainty.

We see this daily; people going to jobs they detest and living in areas they hate. But they do so because they are afraid of taking a chance. If you don’t try you will never know what you are capable of. Also, there is no such thing as security, even if you think there is.

#54 – Risks weren’t that scary once you took them.

This is true with nearly everything we think we fear. I remember that first roller-coaster ride, I had to be dragged on to it by my friend, but after that first ride I was addicted.

#53 – What would happen if I did the opposite of the people around me?

Study the masses and do the opposite. Most people are broke and unhappy, so why do what they do? If you’re going to copy anyone, copy people who have what you want.

#52 – People who avoid all criticism fail.

While some types of criticism really suck, it is by that criticism that we can learn and grow. By avoiding criticism, we do not know what people are thinking and we are not able to satisfy the desires while satisfying our profits.

#51 – Not all stress is bad.

Some doctors may debate this quote, but I have to agree with Timothy. The fact is, we will always have stress; it is how we handle that stress that makes it bad or good. Having stress lets you know you are alive.

#50 – Most people are fast to stop you before you get started but hesitate to get in the way if you’re moving.

People are quick to crush your dreams while you are thinking about your dreams, but once you pursue them, they will get the hell out of your way.

#49 – Ask for forgiveness, not permission.

People are quite apt to say no to anything. It is much better to just do it and if it upsets them, ask for their forgiveness.

#48 – Focus on being productive instead of being busy.

There are many people who are busy getting nowhere fast. We must keep our focus on the money making activities, and outsource the “busy” work.

#47 – Doing less meaningful work, so that you can focus on things of greater personal importance, is NOT laziness.

Focus your time, energy and resources on the critical few things that actually generate revenue.

#46 – Personally, I now aim for one month of overseas relocation or high-intensity learning (tango, fighting, whatever) for every two months of work projects.

What an excellent system! Now we do not have to follow that exact same method, but we should set boundaries on our work so we can also play and learn. When was the last time you just had fun for 1 week, 2 weeks, a month or even 1 day?

#45 – The NR (New Rich) aims to distribute “mini-retirements” throughout life instead of hoarding the recovery and enjoyment for the fool’s gold of retirement.

So many people retire and have no ability to enjoy the wealth the acquired because of sickness or even death. It makes more sense to enjoy that wealth while you are able to.

While it is a good idea to put savings into a retirement plan, we need to use that as a last resort. We need to live as if we were retired even when we are young and can enjoy the world around us.

#42 – Don’t follow a model that doesn’t work.

Before adapting any type of business model, we should research to see if it is feasible and will work in our situation.

#41 – Some people remain convinced that just a bit more money will make things right.

Money is just an object; if things are not going right, the answer is usually in our attitude and actions, not in the money. If we work on ourselves, things will be made right.

#40 – Once you say you are going to settle for second, that’s what happens to you in life. ˜ John F. Kennedy

I am happy that Timothy used President Kennedy’s quote here. We should never take second as an option. Coming in second means a loss. Only first takes the prize.

#39 – Options are limitless, but each path begins with the same first step: replacing assumptions.

I once heard a statement that makes a lot of sense: assuming makes an ass of me. When we assume something, it means we really have no clue. We need to jump in and find the truth.

#38 – Using this as criterion, the 80-hour-per-week, $500,000-per-year investment banker is less “powerful” than the employed NR (New Rich) who works ¼ the hours for $40,000, but has complete freedom of when, where, and how to live.

While this may seem somewhat unbelievable, Timothy points out a major truth. First, the banker is using up all his hours in 1 place and has essentially no other options. he NR at only 20 hours can put “eggs in other baskets,” where that $40,000 can turn into a much bigger figure. And if done correctly, he need not add any more hours to his week. He can have it run on automatic pilot.

#37 – If you can free your time and location, your money is automatically worth 3-10 times as much.

This is such a wise quote that most people never consider. If you have the ability to travel anywhere and work at any time you desire, your money is more powerful because both time and your location is money too.

#36 – The New Rich have freedom from doing that which they dislike, but also the freedom and resolve to pursue their dreams without reverting to work for others.

They are the ones who will not be enslaved by the world’s system of trading hours for dollars.

This mindset is why they are called the New Rich. As long as there is a steady cash flow, they can work on methods to hit the big payday.

#34 – Have more quality and less clutter…Does your life have a purpose? Are you contributing anything useful or just shuffling papers, banging on a keyboard, and coming home to a drunken existence on weekends?

This is a great question we should ask ourselves on a daily basis. We as humans need to have meaning, and we have to find that meaning ourselves.

#33 – The New Rich want to be neither the boss nor the employee, but the owner. To own the trains and have someone else ensure they run on time.

As mentioned earlier, it is about having the business we own run on automatic pilot. While we travel and have fun, the profits will keep coming.

#32 – Do all the things you want to do, and be all the things you want to be.

There really isn’t anything holding you back. Just go for it!

#31 – A New Rich directive: To prevent work for work’s sake, and to do the minimum necessary for maximum effect (minimum effective load).

Isn’t this what we all should desire? It isn’t about being lazy; it is about getting the most out the smallest amount of labor.

#30 – Another New Rich directive: To have others work for you.

This goes back to not being the boss or the employee, but be the owner. Having others work for us should be our desire.

#29 – Finding a market before designing a product is smarter that the reverse.

This makes so much sense, and many businesses do just the opposite. If you have the market, you can design the product to what they need and want.

#28 – Most people are really confused about life.

I have to completely agree with Timothy on this statement. People have no idea where they are going or how they will get there; they go to their jobs, come home and watch the idiot screen and do it again the next day.

#27 – An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field. ˜ Niels Bohr (Danish Physicist and Nobel Prize Winner)

Success only comes from a series of trial and error. Usually, there is multiple errors until the success comes. So naturally, the one who makes all these errors is an expert.

#26 – Liberation is not about cheap travel; it is about forever breaking the bonds that confine you to a single location.

We are free when we can go where we want to go when we want to go there.

#25 – Goal: to free time and automate income.

I know I have this as a goal. If our income can run on automatic pilot, we are invisible.

#24 – The perfect job is the one that takes the least time.

While some would call that a quote from someone who is lazy, I would debate and say that is a quote from someone who is wise.

#23 – The goal is fun and profit.

There is no reason in the world those 2 words cannot go together. It is actually easier to make profit if you are having fun, because consumers will see the fun and excitement within you.

#22 – Is it really necessary to work like a slave to live like a millionaire?

In all actuality, that sounds like an oxymoron; work like a slave-live like a millionaire. No, it is not necessary!

#21 – How do your decisions change if retirement isn’t an option?

If every human being would live life as if retirement was not an option, we would be living in a much different world. This is a great question that should have every one of us re-looking at our lives.

#20 – What is the pot of gold that justifies spending the best years of your life hoping for happiness in the last?

Personally, this quote makes me both laugh and cry. People have assumed they need to just kill their bodies and minds working like slaves so they can have enough money when they are 65. What often happens is they become seriously ill or even die before they can enjoy their retirement money.

#19 – People don’t want to be millionaires – they want to experience what they believe only millions can buy.

I don’t know if I wholeheartedly agree with this, because I would love to be a millionaire. But, I do understand what Timothy is saying. It isn’t necessarily having a million dollars, but having the luxuries millionaires have.

#18 – There is a way to get the rewards for a life of hard work without waiting until the end.

If we work not only hard but smart, we can enjoy the fruits of our labor at a very young age.

#17 – Life doesn’t have to be so damn hard. It really doesn’t.

Life can be as simple as we make it or as hard as we create it. It is all just a frame of mind.

#16 – Usually what we most fear doing is what we most need to do.

So true, and usually our fear is unfounded. So break the fear and just do it already!

#15 – Inaction is the greatest risk of all.

I just love this quote! When we make no decision or do not act, nothing but bad can come from it.

#14 – The opposite of love is indifference. And the opposite of happiness is – here’s the clincher – boredom.

This was a very wise quote. So many people assume the opposite of love is hate, but indifference is a much better truth. And, many think sadness is the opposite of happiness, but boredom fits in that slot in a tight way.

#13 – Remember – boredom is the enemy, not some abstract “failure.”

Failures lead to learning and success, so it can actually be our friend. Boredom means we are not trying anything, so it is the true enemy.

#12 – The most important actions are never comfortable.

This is so true. When I look back at the most important things in my life, there was nothing comfortable about them:

Those fidgety moments when I got married.

Getting screamed at as my wife gave birth.

Getting on a jet to fly to a country I had never been to before.

Etc…

#11 – The goal is to decrease the amount of work you perform while increasing revenue.

So how exactly do we do that? Using all the tools we have available and making our systems run on automatic pilot, and outsourcing as much as we possibly can.

#10 – The goal is to find your inefficiencies in order to eliminate them and to find your strengths so you can multiply them.

We do this by listening to critique, and actually asking our mentors what they believe our downfalls and strengths are. We then list our inefficiencies and outsource any tasks that would have us doing inefficient work. We use what our strengths are and build our systems around those strengths.

#9 – Am I being productive or just active?

I once saw a man mowing his yard with one of those old-fashioned push mowers with no motor. I looked in his driveway and saw a riding mower, so I asked him why? “I get my exercise this way,” he told me. I said “Why don’t you mow the lawn quickly with the rider and then go walk at the park for exercise?” He looked at me dumbfounded and said, “I didn’t think of that.” Do you get the picture?

#8 – Compile your to-do list for tomorrow no later than this evening.

This is very sound business advice. Too many people try to do their to-do list while on the fly of the day, and it often turns into a catastrophe. Failing to plan is planning to fail.

#7 – You should have at most, two primary goals or tasks per day.

It seems to me that this is a wise approach too. As a confession, I often break this but if we make this a habit, we will put ourselves in a strategic position to become more automated so we can spend more time having fun.

#6 – Keep the customer happy.

We must always remember that our customers are our biggest advertiser. If the customer is happy, they bring more customers. If the customer is happy, we are happy!

By following this method, you will be developing products that the customers need and want. If you go about it in the opposite way, you will probably develop a product that will not be needed or wanted and you will fight your tail off marketing it. You may get some sales, but it will be more work and little enjoyment. By following Timothy’s system, you will enjoy the marketing part, because the customer base will be accepting and will happily purchase the products.

#4 – People can dislike you – and you often sell more by offending some – but they should never misunderstand you.

The fact is, we will always have some people that dislike us. But if we are straight and they understand our stance, they cannot claim we are a hypocrite or fake. A perfect example is Donald Trump; many people detest him, but they do not misunderstand him. He calls a spade a spade and a diamond a diamond.

#3 – Don’t ask people if they would buy – ask them to buy.

This is basic sales 101. If we ask people if they would buy, they will find every excuse why they wouldn’t. If we ask them to buy, they most likely will.

#2 – Those who spend the most complain the least.

In most cases, people who are spending high amounts research what they are purchasing. They know what they are getting and therefore have no reason to complain. On the flip-side, people who spend little expect to get a product that operates as an expensive one does. When it doesn’t, they complain. This is why it is sometimes better to just have the high-quality, expensive products. You have less complaints and higher profit margins.

#1 – Just be glad you’re figuring this out now and not at the end of your life!

I had to make this the top quote of Timothy’s book. Many people go through life and never really “get it.” I believe his book has helped me see more clearly, and it will help you too.

Top Takeaways from The Four Hour Work Week

There are some of the key takeaways I learned from reading The Four Hour Work Week. I am sure that I will gain even more insights when I re-read it in the years to come.

Here are the big takeaways:

Work smart and leverage yourself

Focus on activities that give you the biggest return on your time investment and outsource everything else

Create businesses and income streams that give you leverage without having to rely on YOU, or other people

How you earn your money is more important than how much money you make

Not all businesses are created equal

Automate your work and business as much as possible

Take the time to travel and have fun

You can live like a millionaire by living abroad

These are just a few of the big takeaways.

Four Hour Work Week Business Examples

I have decided to list a few examples of businesses in which The Four Hour Work Week would be feasible.

You should know upfront that most of these businesses will take much more than four hours per week to LAUNCH and get working properly.

But, if you build it right, there is a possibility to create a four hour work week within one to five years of hard work.

# 1 Network Marketing. When you are first starting out in network marketing, this won’t be possible. However, after four to five years of hard work, IF you’ve built your business right, it is possible. To make this happen, you need to build strong leadership and systems on your team, so you can replace yourself as quickly as possible.

# 2 Amazon FBA. FBA stands for fulfilled by Amazon. The business requires that you get a line of products that you send to Amazon and they will handle shipping, sales, inventory management, and customer service. Your duty is source inventory that will sell.

# 3 eBay. eBay is a lot of work. But, if you had a game plan you could whittle it down to a four hour work week. Your number one objective would be to find a good source for your inventory. My best tip would be to find 20 to 100 different items that you could sell in multiple quantities.

#4 Online Courses and Information Products. Just create the course and put it online. Whatever you are an expert in, other people want to learn and will pay to do so.

# 5 Blogging. Blogging could be a four hour work week, but only if you outsource. If you do everything yourself it would be a full-time job. Instead, hire writers, editors, assistants and other people to do the details for you, while you act as the Project Manager.

# 6 Apartment Complex Owner. This makes perfect sense because you can hire an apartment manager and people to handle all the maintenance for you. You just collect your profits and have a meeting with your managers when needed.

# 7 Vending Machines.There are many people who buy vending machines, put them in prime locations and stock them at certain times. The profits can be substantial. And, you can actually hire a person to upkeep your machines for you.

These are just a few Four Hour Work Week business examples. As a quick disclaimer, many of these businesses could also be a full-time venture, if you wanted them to be. Your real key to success is to outsource and work smart.

What Others Are Saying About The Four Hour Work Week

I Will Teach You To Be Rich said that Timothy’s book absolutely changed his life. He explained how he thought he was being email efficient, but by following Tim’s directive, he discovered he could be even more efficient.

Over at Get Rich Slowly, the author thought that Timothy’s book would be another “get rich quick” book. He quickly discovered a wealth of great information that has forced him to re-read the book several times.

Trent Hamm at The Simple Dollar said he normally cringes at books with titles such as Tim’s. But when he started leafing through the book, he couldn’t put it down. His biggest take was the 80/20 rule that Timothy speaks about. Namely, erasing the 20% of productivity that is eating 80% of your time.

And Stefan James who has Project Life Mastery claims that it was The Four Hour Work Week that enticed him to leave his 9 to 5 job and pursue freedom in life by becoming an internet marketer.

The Controversy

Tim has his fair share of haters too. One thing I go back to is one of his quotes about being disliked but being clear. That is one thing Timothy Ferriss is; he cannot be misunderstood.

I was reading the variety of negative comments at Goodreads, and I would say that if people would just open their minds and read the book before making judgment, they would find some great information like Trent Hamm did in his review.

About Timothy Ferriss

Timothy came into the world in 1977 (the same year as I did). He is an author, entrepreneur, angel investor and public speaker. Timothy’s first major success was BrainQuicken which was a nutritional supplement. He sold that business to a London firm. Timothy has authored 3 books:

About The Book

The Four Hour Work Week is 416 pages of great information on how to change your entrepreneurial instincts into overdrive. The book was published by Harmony in December of 2009. The ISBN is 978-0307465351. It has been translated into a wide variety of languages, and you can get this book in:

Hardback

Amazon Kindle

Audible

and MP3 CD

Final Thoughts

If a person is willing to open their mind while reading The 4 Hour Work Week, I truly believe their lives can change for the better.

This book has changed my life. It’s been nearly six years since I first read The Four Hour Work Week. I’ve re-read it at least 10 times since then.

Yes, I still work more than four hours per week.

But…

Neither my wife nor I have jobs. We both work from home in our pajamas. We are in charge of our own life, living life on our own terms. And we live in our own little piece of paradise in sunny Florida.

I wouldn’t trade our life for anything. I am eternally grateful for the lessons I learned in The Four Hour Work Week.

What are your thoughts? Did you like my review? If you have read the book, please tell us what you gained from it.

If you haven’t read the book, I highly suggest you scroll back up and order a copy; you will be glad you did.

3 thoughts on “The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss: A Review”

Great review, Chuck. Very revealing and insightful. I must also say you inspire me so much. I also like the idea o f copying those who are good at what they are doing. You have a great fan and follower in me.

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